Storing geraniums for winter is super easy — you just put them in a cardboard box or a paper bag and close the top. Here are some tips to improve their survival: Keep your geraniums in a cool, dry location, at about 50 to 60 degrees F. Check for mold about once a month and remove dried leaves from the bag or box.
Do you cut back geraniums for winter storage?
Overwintered Plants
For geraniums stored as dormant plants during the winter, prune off all of the flowers and flower stems, along with about a third of the length of each stem, before you place the plant in its winter home.
Is it worth keeping geraniums over winter?
Geraniums make decent winter houseplants if you can provide them with plenty of bright light. A sunny west- or south-facing window (or grow lights) assures that they won’t grow spindly. Just make sure to situate the plants away from drafts that might force dormancy.
How should I overwinter geraniums?
Geraniums like it cool in the winter — 55 to 65 F is ideal — so a drafty west-facing window would be ideal to overwinter your potted geranium. To avoid bringing in unwelcome pests from outdoors, wash the foliage thoroughly with your hose and repot the plant into fresh potting soil.
How can I save my geraniums for next year? – Related Questions
Can you bring geraniums indoors for the winter and they’ll still grow?
Potted geraniums (Pelargonium species) are excellent indoor plants and can be grown indoors throughout the year.
Can I move my geraniums inside for winter?
To overwinter geraniums, bring them indoors prior to frost. If you are growing them in a tub or container and time is at a premium (as it usually is in fall), simply drag the entire pot indoors where they should keep for a few weeks while you tend to other more pressing garden chores.
What is the lowest temperature that geraniums can tolerate?
During winter, geraniums grow best with night temperatures of 50° to 60°F (10° to 16°C) but will survive if they drop to 32°F (0°C) and/or rise above 80°F (27°C), as long as they are kept relatively dry. When new growth appears in the spring, cut off all the old leaves.
When should I start overwintering geraniums?
If your geraniums are in the ground, dig them up and pot them about six weeks before first frost. If they are already in pots, you can repot them if desired but hard prune and do your bug inspections first (see below). While potting, trim back any super long roots or any gnarly root balls.
Can geraniums be left outside in winter?
While they can survive light frosts (temperatures just below freezing), they will die if exposed to prolonged temperatures below freezing so need to be protected in these conditions.
How do you take care of geraniums outside in pots?
Are geraniums better in pots or in the ground?
Native to South Africa, geraniums can be grown in garden beds in USDA zones 8 through 11 where winters are mild. But, they bloom even better when they are slightly root-bound (tightly packed, such as in a container), if the container soil has good drainage.
How long do geraniums last in pots?
The average life expectancy of a geranium is about two years, and although they will last much longer than that, they tend to get woody and the blooms diminish. Luckily, propagation is easy with geraniums.
Do geraniums outgrow their pots?
When potted, Geraniums can outgrow their container. Move to a larger pottery selection when needed. Pruning spent blooms is important for encouraging new growth and will allow for additional blooms. Spent blooms use energy that your plant needs to grow.
Can a geranium be a houseplant?
You can grow geraniums (Pelargoniums) indoors as houseplants all year-round or overwinter them inside during the cold months and return them outdoors again in spring. Either way these plants will keep producing bold, beautiful blooms all the way along.
Should I remove yellow leaves from geraniums?
It is a good idea to remove any yellow leaves from your geranium plants. This will help prevent the spread of disease and pests.
How do you overwinter geraniums in a cardboard box?
Store them in a box.
Put the plants upside down in a cardboard box, and close the lid, leaving it loose enough to allow for air circulation. Put the box on a shelf and keep it in a basement or other dry, dark, cool spot. Open the box every couple of weeks to check your geraniums.
Does baking soda help geraniums?
If there were an award for most versatile of pantry ingredients, baking soda would certainly be a nominee. You can sprinkle it on the surface of your soil to make your geraniums, coneflowers, daylilies, and clematis bloom like crazy. That’s because baking soda is alkaline, and those flowers thrive on alkaline soil.
Do geraniums like coffee grounds?
Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass. Conversely, grounds (used as mulch and compost) improve yields of soybeans and cabbage.